Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled his first 2014 re-election campaign ad and in it, his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, is featured front and center. In the ad, she references attack ads from the “far left” which recently negatively referenced her Chinese-American ethnicity.

What she is talking about is less of an “attack ad,” so much as a racist tweet (which has since been deleted). The offending tweet drew a connection between Chinese-American Chao and the outsourcing of jobs to China.

“This woman has the ear of @McConnellPress – she’s his #wife. May explain why your job moved to #China!” said the tweet from Progress Kentucky on February 14.

Chao says in the ad: “You’ve seen the ads attacking my husband. As Mitch McConnell’s wife, I’ve learned to expect them. Now far left special interests are also attacking my ethnicity, even attacking Mitch’s patriotism because he’s married to me. That’s how low some people will stoop.”

I think it’s interesting how Mitch McConnell’s first ad doesn’t prominently feature McConnell himself, nor does it say anything about him except that he’s a patriot, married to Elaine Chao, and they both “love Kentucky.” The ad seems very reactionary– which is really funny because it’s the first ad of the campaign, and perhaps it signals that he’s very concerned about his re-election and staying the highest ranking Republican in the Senate. Says the Fresno Bee, “It’s an example of how the 71-year-old McConnell, facing a prospective challenge from actress Ashley Judd, is taking no chances even though the general election is more than 18 months away.”

As to the Progress Kentucky tweet? Obviously, it was a terrible idea for them to send out a tweet about China in relation to Elaine Chao’s ethnicity. I suppose the tweet could have simply referenced Chao’s work as Labor Secretary, but the whole series of unsavory tweets just showed that Progress Kentucky needed a lesson or two on twittiquette and how to properly use hashtags.

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OK, if you think that being born in Taiwan is all that’s needed to be Taiwanese, fine by me. As to your question, now you see how counterproductive and pointless it is to have this “Taiwanese, not Chinese” emphasis. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be proud of being Taiwanese, and I’m not saying that there is no Taiwanese identity.

What I am saying is that for people who are prejudiced, it doesn’t matter. And saying stuff like “she’s Taiwanese, not Chinese” doesn’t help address the prejudice.

What are you talking about? Taiwanese people are not Chinese. They are friends of America. So there’s no reason why these people should be racist towards Chao. It must have been a mistake. Taiwan is friend of U.S.

Secondly, what needs to be addressed is why they are being racist against Chao who is TAIWANESE. Don’t they realize Taiwan is friend? So why are they being racist??? Taiwan isn’t stealing jobs. Taiwan is on the side of the US!

I’m talking about how unhelpful your attitude is. For people who are prejudiced against China and Chinese people, saying stuff like, “But wait! She isn’t Chinese! She’s Taiwanese!” does not help. You’re basically saying it’s OK to be prejudiced against Chinese people but it’s not OK to be prejudiced against Taiwanese people.

LTE2

So why are they being racist???

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She is a twofer, a minority woman and a Republican. In America, you can be racist to those kind of people.

Yes, let’s address this prejudice. Why are these Americans being racist towards Taiwanese born Chao? Taiwan is a friend of the U.S. They do not “steal jobs” or plan on “taking over the world.” If anything Taiwan is friend.

My friend told me that AMericans don’t act like this towards Taiwanese people because we aren’t communist. And now I see all these attacks against Taiwanese born people. Like John Liu. And now Chao. What’s going on?

Again, you’re saying it’s OK to be prejudiced against Chinese people but it’s not OK to be prejudiced against Taiwanese people. Your attitude is not helpful. You also do not appear to understand what I’m talking about.

LTE2

“And now I see all these attacks against Taiwanese born people. Like John Liu”
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John Liu has been seen as a little to cozy to mainland Chinese press organizations that have ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

EastAsianNationalist

This is irrelevant. Both China and Taiwan are Han people.

Regardless of what side you are on, nationality is not the same as ethnicity. Save the fighting spirit for the western liberals.

EastAsianNationalist

One does not need to be the victim of racism to fight against leftists. That should be the default position of any rational person.

AngryConservativeAsianDude

Hell yeah, bro!

zdrav

Hard to feel empathy for anybody who voluntarily married Mitch McConnell.

iko: STFU mikey STORMloq, the same garbage that is found in STOMRfront. Aren't you yourself doing the same "...making subjective statements about your own ethnicity, just... – What Do White Supremacists Think of Asians?